Convicted drug traffickers to know fate tomorrow

Two American women, who imported marijuana into Barbados and are currently at Dodds Prison awaiting their fate, have been told that “quick opportunities to make quick bucks will always lead to problems”.

Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes made the comment as he addressed drug couriers Brittany Georgina Brown, a 28-year-old medical assistant from 414 Sutter Avenue Brooklyn, New York and 20-year-old exotic dancer Samiyah Nicole Spencer of, 18 Scenic Croton On Hudson, West Chester, New York.

They will reappear before the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on Friday when they will be sentenced.

The two who were separately charged, pleaded guilty to the offences of importation, possession, possession with intent to supply and trafficking in marijuana on March 30.

Customs officials searching Brown’s luggage after she arrived in Barbados from New York, discovered 25 plastic wrappings with vegetable matter. The drugs were seized and she was detained and handed over to police. During police investigations she denied knowledge of the illegal substance which weighed 12.15 kilogrammes and had an estimated street value of $97 200.

Spencer also arrived in the country on the same day. A search of her luggage found 24 wrapped, sealed packages containing vegetable matter. She too denied knowledge of the drugs which weighed 11.80 kilogrammes and had an estimated street value of $94 400.

In mitigating on their behalf attorney-at-law Shadia Simpson told Chief Magistrate Weekes her clients, while they were couriers of the drug, were not the mastermind of the enterprise.

The defence counsel also submitted that the illegal substance which was intended for the streets of Barbados had been confiscated and no longer posed a threat. She explained that there was also no profit derived from the sale of the drugs.

Also going in her clients’ favour, she said, was the fact that they had pleaded guilty to the crimes, cooperated with police, were contrite and remorseful and were not known to the courts here or elsewhere.

“They recognize that it was a poor decision on their part. Oftentimes you see young women . . . I guess because of their socio economic background they are seduced and sometimes even coerced into taking these particular actions. But nonetheless, I believe that having been at prison for the last two to three weeks they have had a sobering experience and they understand the gravity of the offence that they committed against our country,” Simpson stated.

She said given the circumstances the court could sentence the two to pay a fine for their individual crimes. She further submitted that based on their means a fine in the region of $15 000 could be imposed and would meet the justice of the case. She however asked for time for the sum to be paid.

“My concern is what message we send in these circumstances. It is very important that persons not be allowed to continue to raise the issue of their circumstances in life and I say that without any reservation.

“In Caribbean societies the majority of persons who reach the top of their professions are from humble working-class backgrounds and education would have been the only way to get them to where they are.

“So the question is, do we have society which supports the dint of hard work . . . or do we support a society which says quick action and quick gain are what we want our young people to see,” Weekes stated as the young women disclosed that one had a Jamaican father and the other a Trinidadian mother.

“We must remove any thought that because we are poor or we come from difficult circumstances that we can’t make it to the top by the dint of hard work. Opportunities will always come and the devil is always at play. Quick opportunities to make quick bucks will always lead to problems . . . You always run the risk of being caught.”

The judicial officer said he appreciated the fact that the women took responsibility for their actions and the drugs were off the streets and therefore could not cause “untold destruction to our race”. The quantum of the drugs was also a concern, Magistrate Weekes added.

“These two young ladies should have processed and should have recognized the magnitude of this potential problem on our society. . .

“The court must not send a message that those who seek to do the devil’s work should be accommodated,” Chief Magistrate Weekes said as he adjourned the case until tomorrow for sentencing.